The Monday After: News transcends time from 150 years ago

Gary Brown CantonRep.com Correspondent @gbrownREP

Monday

Mar 11, 2019 at 4:32 AM

Political, local, and lifestyle news were carried in 1869 in the "Rep & Rep."

"Never in the history of the government has an official announcement been waited for with keener anxiety," said an editorial published in the Repository on this date -- March 11, 1869 -- 150 years ago.

General Ulysses S. Grant had been inaugurated as president, and the newspaper was commenting on that occasion, as well as on the new president's selection of his cabinet.

"The silent, dignified soldier, who in war kept his counsels in his own breast, as President was equally reticent," the editorial continued. "He feels the responsibilities of his administration and claims the control of the means. The Cabinet are not politicians, but men of executive abilities, business sagacity, fully qualified to carry out the practical results aimed at in the Inaugural."

Such news of the day was reported in abundant words, and the writing was at times flowery. Still, the pages of newspapers were gray, divided into narrow columns of type and largely absent of illustrations. The newspaper itself, only four pages, was packed tightly with reports about national politics, local happenings and a large quantity of what now we would call lifestyle news.

"A better way than to wet both sides of a postage stamp is to wet neither," the newspaper advised in one tidbit of information. "Wet the corner of the envelope -- press the stamp on, and stick it must."

A newspaper's name

This newspaper was called the Repository And Republican in those days, following a merger in 1868 of The Ohio Repository and The Stark County Republican. Often, in conversation among readers, the moniker on the nameplate was shortened and the newspaper simply was called "The Rep and Rep."

The Republican's former editor, Josiah Hartzell, held a similar position for the Repository and Republican in 1869, according to the newspaper's masthead. John Saxton, the founder of the Repository, was listed as associate editor. T.W. Saxton -- Thomas to his father -- was by then back from the Civil War, and he had taken over the reins of the newspaper as publisher.

William McKinley Jr. also was back from his service in the army of the North during the "War Between the States." The young lawyer had begun a law practice in Canton and an advertisement was published in the March 11, 1869, issue of the newspaper -- front page near the center in a column under the label "ATTORNEYS."

WILLIAM McKINLEY," the advertisement introduced. "ATTORNEY AND COUNSELLOR (sic) AT LAW," the ad described, before locating the lawyer's office "in Trump's building, upstairs."

Elsewhere in the newspaper, tucked among political news items, was a brief article about the upcoming primary election that illustrated McKinley's rising position in the Republican party. The primary would nominate candidates "to be voted upon at the Spring Election, April 5," said the notification, which was signed by the party's leader, W.M. McKinley.

Local news

Weather was important news of the day during a period when "Friday and Saturday were the most unremittingly cold days of the winter." But, the "Rep and Rep" remained good-natured about the cold.

"The ground-hog is an unmitigated fraud this year, and the temperature of the past few days has put the ground-hog theory down to a very low rate of interest."

The newspaper even found a silver lining in the frigid temperatures during an era before electric refrigeration.

"The supply of stored ice has been largely increased during the late cold snap."

Like today, however, sensational news -- that being talked about by readers -- no doubt sold copies.

"A boy named Nichols had both his feet cut off, at East Liverpool, on Tuesday, by being run over by the Local Freight Train," reported one brief article, while another single-paragraph story noted that "Harlan Pyle, who was injured at the recent explosion of the Sash factory in Salem, died on Thursday morning last, from the effects of the injuries received."

Odd items

A few of the news reports wandered into what some readers might call a weird area, albeit perhaps helpful.

"Girls, when you meet a young man whose breath smells of cloves, cardamon seeds, or cassia buds -- spot him," one item encouraged. "He has either been drinking or neglecting his teeth."

Another brief article noted that "a veteran Virginian publishes a card in which he shows that eating the eggs of game chickens makes men plucky, punctilious, and sensitive for their honor."

A third paragraph reported salaciously on "a deserted husband from Pittsburgh" who "sought his wife and child in Canton one day last week."

"He found the former living in flagrante, with her runaway paramour. He left her, but took away his child."

Matters of lifestyle

Perhaps the most noteworthy society event reported in the March 11, 1869, edition chronicled a pair of weddings touching the same esteemed family. When reported together, the weddings provided "an event of such social importance as to assume the dimensions of a sensation."

"The two bridegrooms were Messrs. Geo. D. and M.D. Harter, proprietors of the banking house of Geo. D. Harter & Bro., and sons of Isaac Harter, the well known Canton banker," reported the Repository and Republican on that Thursday 150 years ago.

"Mr. Geo. D. Harter was married on Wednesday, at Mansfield, to Miss Libbie Aultman, daughter and only child of Mr. Cornelius Aultman, widely known as the successful manufacturer of agricultural implements," the newspaper said, noting that "the bridal presents upon this occasion were of an extraordinary character, amounting in value to more than twenty-five thousand dollars.

"Mr. M.D. Harter was married in Massillon, on Thursday, to Miss Mary L. Brown, daughter of the late James M. Brown, formerly one of the most prominent citizens of Massillon.

"The happy quartet started immediately on a wedding tour of New Orleans, expecting to be absent about six weeks."

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